Coming back after a 12-year layoff. . .

[JohnCollins]

I hope you never need another refresher course again

Me too!! I'm going to keep diving (God willing) enough to not need it. However, I won't ever hesitate to do one again, and it's in my nature to keep my nose in books and on this board and to schedule very easy first dives for each season to practice skills and get the feeling back. Great fun!

 

[JohnCollins]

I just spent an hour reading some of the accident articles here:

http://www2.scubadiving.com/training/lessons/

What an eye opener! Especially remembering the discomfort I felt on my tune-up dives!

You instructors were wrong about the complexity of diving--it ain't flying-- but you were right about the need for ongoing training in a BIG way. I urge all divers, new or otherwise to read several of these sobering articles. It will change your mindset for sure.

Because I used to be a skilled diver, I underestimated the desirability of diving with an instructor. I thought a little "riding the bike again" was all I needed. I know enough about flying to have thought your analogy "over the top". It is in a way, but I missed something. There are lots of "simple" things that are difficult to accomplish and there are lots of fairly complex things we do everyday that are fairly easy to accomplish. I'll let you think about your own examples of this apparent paradox, life is full of them.

What I failed to realize is diving is full of lots of "simple" but difficult situations. These articles really drive that home. The number of these incidents that involve instructors or dive masters or otherwise very experienced divers is really scary.

At any rate, I hereby apologize to the instructors in this thread who tried to warn me against being too cavalier about my first dives in many years. If I may make a suggestion. . . humbly this time. . .instead of comparing diving with flying, just point mutton-heads like me to those articles. That will do the trick!

I hereby resolve to 1) dive every year, even if only at a local quarry to practice skills, 2) redo my advanced open water course in it's entirety, and 3) keep reading those article to maintain the proper mindset while diving.

I do a lot of target shooting, and when I'm at the range with loaded weapons, my mind is in a heightened state of awareness, both about me, my surroundings, and--most importantly--the other folks around me with loaded weapons. You can tell by looking at them those that you are comfortable shooting with and those who scare you to death, usually by an attitude they display. I'm going to take this mindset into my diving.

Thanks.

 

[SubMariner]

On coming "back into the fold", John.

I hereby resolve to 1) dive every year, even if only at a local quarry to practice skills, 2) redo my advanced open water course in it's entirety, and 3) keep reading those article to maintain the proper mindset while diving.

Instead of "redo[ing] [your] advanced open water course in it's entirety", what about taking up some new Specialties like u/w photog, u/w naturalist, etc.? Or expanding on some of the dives you took during your AOW like navigation or search & recovery?

These are great ways to hone your skills plus get into some new areas that might be of interest to you.

Variety is the spice of life, even in scuba!

~SubMariner~

 

[JohnCollins]

I have the AOW text still, and I can plan dives to practice those skills in easy environments (except the deep dive--I'll only do that first time back with a supervised group including a DM or instructor).

I'd like to do a wreck course and photography. Anyway, I'm sold on supervision when renewing/learning new skills. Fun to be back!